Introduction to SAP for beginners

The name SAP, being a German company and the SAP stands for an acronym for “System, Anwendungen, and Produkte in Der Datenverarbeitung”. This is translated into English as “Systems, Applications, and Products in Data Processing”. The SAP system consists of complex integration of different modules or applications, each representing part of the basic business process. SAP runs on a 4th generation programming language called Advanced Business Application Programming (ABAP).

SAP is an Enterprise Resource Planning product capable of integrating multiple business applications with each applicant is representing a specific business area. SAP processes a product that is capable of great depth in specific application area.

The SAP Graphical user Interface

SAP has also developed a user interface called the SAP graphical user interface (SAPGUI), which runs on Windows 3.1/95/98/NT, Motif, OS/2 presentation manager, and Macintosh. All SAPGUIs look identical, regardless of the operating system on which they are running. This interface varies according to the version of SAP or SAPGUI you are running; however, the difference in appearance is minimal. The appearance of the screens and means is configurable.

The Application Integration

SAP is an “Enterprise Resource Planning” (ERP) software product capable of integrating multiple business applications, with each application representing a specific business area. These applications update and process transactions in real time, thus allowing seemingly effortless integration and communication between areas of a business.

Customizing Tools

The cornerstone of SAP is its ability to be configured to meet the needs of your business. This is done by customizing or adapting the system to your business requirements, which is the process of mapping SAP to your business process. Since SAP version 3, the “Reference Implementation Guide” (IMG) for R/3 customizing has been available. Until this version, customizing had to be done in the menu paths of the system with considerably more hassle. This IMG screen is the backbone for SAP and the entries placed in it determine how the system functions. We will be using this screen extensively for the purpose of configuring the SD module.

R/3 Applications overview

R/3 applications are categorized into 3 core functional areas: Logistics, Financial, and Human Resources of these three functional areas, there is a further subdivision into applications or modules. In addition to these applications, SAP creates “Industry – Specific Solutions (ISs), which are, as the name defines, created tailor – made for a specific industry. A few examples of these would be:

IS – OIL = The SAP industry solution for oil companies.

IS – T = The SAP industry solution for Telecommunications.

IS – B = The SAP industry solution for Banks.

IS – Retail = The SAP industry solution for Retail.

In addition to these industry solutions of which there are currently 19, standard cross – application components are available, such as the SAP business workflow.

SAP stands for an acronym for “System, Anwendungen, and Produkte in Der Datenverarbeitung”

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